Fastening means for jewelry.



W. LEIDIG. I FASTENING MEANS FOR JEWELRY.

APPLIUATIOR FILED PBB.29, 1912.

1,034,,01 9. I Patented July 30, 1912.-

WITNESSES: j 4 I INVEfJTOR NEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH $0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM LEIDIG, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

FASTENING MEANS FOR JEWELRY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Application filed February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,678.

To all w/zom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, YVILLIAM Lnmre, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Means for Jewelry; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to 'which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved securing means for jewelry, and is designed for use with finger-rings, cuff-buttons, scarfpins and other devices in which detachable tops are secured in a body-portion so that they can be replaced by others, and a single body-portion can be used for any number of detachable tops.

The invention consists in a fastening means which is secured to the top and which cooperates with the peculiar construction of body-portion so that the top is quickly and easily detached or secured. The body-portion in this case is illustrated as a ring, and to prevent unnecessary multiplicity of drawings, no other forms of body-portions are illustrated, although it will be understood that other elements of jewelry can be equipped with the fastening means herein described.

The invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a ring equipped with my improved fastening means. Fig. 2 is a section through the ring and the top. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3, 3, in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4,4, in Fig. 2-. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the back of the top, and Fig. 6, is a detail, much enlarged, of one end of a latch employed in the device.

The body-portion in the form of a ring 10 is formed at its top into a chamber formed with the marginal wall 11 having on opposite sides the flanges 12 which project into the chamber a slight distance from the top. The particular outline of the chamber, and therefore of the top is not important, but I prefer a form longer one way than the other,

in the drawing. The flanges 12 merge into the marginal walls at the ends of the chamber. The top 13 is formed so that it fits at its edge within the marginal wall 11, the top itself being ornamented in any desired form. The top has a latch on its under side, the latch being pivoted to the top and preferably formed of two oppositely extending arms 1d pivoted at 15, these arms 14 having their ends arranged so that they can be swung under the flanges 12. The latch can be swung by the nut 16 which can be made to receive a tool for its operation, the drawing showing two holes 17, these holes 17 receiving a suitable spanner when the latch is to be turned. The inner side of the ring has an opening 18 into which fits the nut 16. hen the top is to be put in place the latch is swung to a position to permit its passing between the flanges 12, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. fl. The top is placed in the chamber of the ring and the tool or spanner is placed on the nut 16, and then turned. This turning operation swings the latch to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, that is, to its locked position.

To bind the parts tightly together by friction and also to facilitate the assembling of the parts, the ends of the latch are beveled.

or chamfered, as shown at 19 in Fig. 6. These inclined inner faces 19 draw the top tightly into place and cause it to be seated with its lower face on the top of the flanges as shown in Fig. 2.

To more tightly bind the latch I place a pair of opposed hook steps 20 on the bottom or inner face of the top 13, under which the latch swings, and the strain is taken from the pivotal connection of the latch. These hook stops also limit the movement of the latch and the person operating can feel when the parts are fully assembled without unduly straining the elements.

The device is simple and economical, and it also gives a good frictional fastening be tween the ring and the top that is not apt to come unfastened so as to cause the loss of the top.

The inside of the hook stops and the lower faces of the flanges are preferably made so that they provide a slightly less distance between their faces that is occupied by the thickness of the latch so that the latch is sprung when it is forced into place, this spring action assisting the friction in holding the latchagainst accidental swinging.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An article of jewelry consisting of a body portion having a chamber therein, flanges on the side walls of the chamber, a top resting on the flanges, a swinging spring latch pivotally secured at its center to the bottom face of the top and spaced therefrom whereby the ends of the latch can be swung in a plane beneath the flanges to engage the bottom faces thereof, and hook stops'onthe bottom face of the top in the path of the latch, said hook stops acting to limit the movement of the latch and the ends thereof shaped'to bear on the latch to force its ends in positive. spring engagement with the under faces of the flanges.

2. An article of jewelry consisting of a body portion having a chamber therein, the chamber having an opening at the bottom, flanges projecting'inwardly from the side walls of the chamber, a top resting on the flanges, a swinging spring latch pivotally secured at its center to the bottom face of the top and spaced therefrom whereby its ends can be swung in aplane beneath the flanges in engagement with the bottom face thereof, a nut on the pivot of the latch having means thereon to permit its engagement by a tool so that it can be turned, the nut projecting into the opening of the bodyportion when the top is in place whereby the I WILLIAM LEIDIG.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAMFIELD, M. A. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

